California Lawmaker’s Bold Proposal Following License Controversy

California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell has promised to take action against deportation agents, saying he would revoke their driving licenses after the state figured prominently in a development involving commercial licenses for foreign truck drivers.

As the Democratic gubernatorial candidate, Swalwell stated that, if elected, he would pull driver’s licenses from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents when they wear masks. This declaration came after the Department of Transportation (DOT) decided to retract millions in federal funding from the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This decision was made because the DMV failed to take back 117,000 commercial driver’s licenses issued illegally to undocumented immigrants and foreign drivers, many of whom lacked basic English skills for safe driving.

“If you endanger a single Californian, I’ll use every resource at my disposal to hold you accountable,” Swalwell emphasized during a summit in Los Angeles. “We will not tolerate anyone driving in our state without proper identification and without a mask.”

His remarks followed accidents involving undocumented immigrant truck drivers, several of whom were reportedly licensed in California. Notably, individuals like Harjinder Singh, Jashanpreet Singh, Rajinder Kumar, and Kamalpreet Singh have been implicated in fatal incidents on American roads.

For instance, Harjinder Singh faced charges for a tragic incident where he allegedly made an illegal U-turn in Florida, resulting in three fatalities. This was just the beginning of a troubling trend tied to illegal immigration and driving safety.

Federal investigations revealed that many undocumented drivers, including Harjinder, had a concerning inability to understand English or American road signals. In fact, on an English proficiency test, he only correctly answered two out of twelve questions and identified just one out of four traffic signs.

Since these events, the DOT has been investigating the issuance of nonresident commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), uncovering a “devastating pattern.” Reports indicate that California might be the state most at fault, with over 25% of its non-domicile CDLs issued improperly, including many that were renewed well beyond the validity of the immigrants’ legal status.

Initially, DMV officials agreed to a deadline to rectify the licensing issues, but this was pushed to March 6 after a class-action lawsuit emerged. Subsequently, federal funds totaling $160 million were withdrawn from the California DMV.

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin expressed disapproval of Swalwell’s plans, labeling them “disgusting.” She stated that police officers often wear masks for their protection from potential threats. Moreover, she highlighted a significant uptick in assaults against law enforcement, underscoring the risks they face while maintaining public safety.

Despite California’s new law restricting mask-wearing by federal law enforcement, the Department of Homeland Security has affirmed it won’t abide by it, stating that federal conduct isn’t subject to state regulations.

Currently, Swalwell is among the few liberal candidates campaigning for the Democratic nomination in the gubernatorial race, competing against figures like former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, environmental advocate Tom Steyer, and others.